Accuracy: 500 m (546 yd)

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

26-Mar-2008 -- On 26 March 2008 a patrol was conducted from Bukavu to Uvira, and later it reached Lemera village. This patrol was done in order to get information about the current security situation there. On the way for reaching these places, 45 km from Uvira (South Kivu-DRC), our team had the opportunity for passing almost over the confluence point 3S 29E.

Picture #1 is the view west towards the Confluence point, approximately in the middle of the hill.

Picture #2 is the north view almost over the point; you can see also the UN car with its Military escort.

Picture #5 is our team from left to right: Natalie, Sarah, Mauricio, a Major from the Pakistani Army, and me (Arturo getting the picture). This point can be named "SANA", that means "a lot" in Swahili language, and also has the initial letters of each name of these four guys that wanted to have this adventure for reaching the first confluence point in a place where that kind of activities is not easy to do, in the DRC. Believe me friends, it was hard!!!

Just behind the guys in the picture, the confluence point is located. We couldn't go over the point for security situation; anyway, the point was very close!!!

Picture #6 is the same view, but in this opportunity I am with Natalie, Sarah, and a Major from the Pakistani Army.

In picture #7 we can see the Lemera Hospital, this village is located approximately 4 kilometres far from the confluence point. As something unusual here in the DRC, there is a track road that is going just trough the point (Reference 1:50K maps from Belgium), but first, it is necessary to pass a "casiterite" mine. This mine is seven hundred meters far from the point. It was an adventure for our team to almost reach the point; the people at the mine were not totally friendly toward us. Anyway, the first confluence point in DRC was reached.

Coordinator's Note:There is no proof that the visitors were within 100 m distance from the Confluence. The pictures and report give indications that the point was still about 500 m away, so this visit was registered as "incomplete".